Ranger Corps
The Ranger Corps is a group of men, and later women, whose duty it is to be the "eyes and ears" of the kingdom of Araluen. History The Ranger Corps was founded during King Herbert's reign, 150 years before the events of The Ruins of Gorlan. King Herbert is also known as the founder of modern Araluen. The Ranger Corps was reformed by Halt and Crowley after Halt left Hibernia. The group is considered an elite intelligence and reconnaissance force. During the later reign of King Oswald, a number of ambitious barons started to take over the ruling of the country because the king's mind was old and compromised. They had Prince Duncan sent to a far corner of Araluen and then started to get rid of the loyal and potentially dangerous rangers such as Crowley's mentor Pritchard. These Rangers were banished and replaced with unqualified noblemen who gained entrance to the Corps by paying a pension. Crowley and Halt meet during this time; both were Pritchard's pupils and taught as rangers should be. Together they decided to revitalize the Ranger Corps and bring an end to the barons slowly taking over the country and making it fall into ruin. There are 50 rangers, one for each fief. The only exception to this rule is Redmont Fief. A few of the most notable rangers are Halt of Northern Redmont Fief, Gilan of Whitby, Commandant Crowley, and Will Treaty of Southern Redmont Fief. Tradition is broken when Princess Madelyn is the first female to join the Ranger Corps. Attire A Ranger's most essentail article of clothing is the green and grey camoflage cloak. Made of tightly woven wool, it offers protection from the weather, and the color makes it easier to remain unseen in the forests of Araluen. The cloak has a heavy, deep cowl which, when pulled over the head leaves the Ranger's face in deep shadow. This hides the Ranger's face and allows him to scan his surroundings without being too noticable. Most Rangers wear a long sleeved, green linen shirt covered by a brown leather tunic that also aids in concealment and helps the Rangers to carry all of their tools and weapons. They wear light-weight, soft-soled, brown leather boots, which allow them to move silently but also aid in riding. They usually have a leather gauntlet on their non-dominant fore-arm to protect them from the strings of their own bows when firing. On their belt they wear a double-scabbard with their throwing and saxe knives placed next to each other. They carry a quiver of 12-24 arrows on their back as well as a longbow. Around their necks they wear a metal oakleaf on a chain, bronze for apprentices, silver for fully-fledged Rangers, and gold for retired Rangers. Weaponry Rangers are best known for the longbows they carry and the twenty-four arrows in their quiver plus an extras in their saddlebag. Rangers are extremly accurate with their longbows and can shoot rapidly with accuracy. A Ranger's main tasks include reconnaissance, intelligence, assassination, anti-crime detail, situational intervention, and special operations. They also wield a throwing knife, a heavy bladed saxe knife, the strikers. List of Ranger Gear *Longbow *Recurve bow *Ranger Saxe Knife *Throwing Knife *Arrows *Strikers *Northseekers Skills *''' Stealth''' - Rangers are incredibly stealthy and many believe that they practice the dark arts, though this is not true. They achieve their far-famed stealth through years of rigorous training and camouflage cloaks. *'Archery' - all Rangers are accomplished archers, having a standard of shooting that is achieved only by few. As Pritchard, Crowley's and Halt's mentor, said, "An ordinary archer practices until he gets it right. A Ranger practices until he never gets it wrong." *'Tactical Thinking' - all Rangers are taught to be tacticians as they are often called into situations which involve the need for tactical thinking. *'Knife Throwing' - all Rangers use knives, placed on their belts in a special double-scabbard, containing a useful saxe knife and throwing knife. *'Double Knife Defense' - The double knife defense involves the Rangers using their two knives to defend themselves against swordsmen. It does not appear to be used often. *'Horse Riding' - it is necessary that all Rangers are proficient horse riders and every one of them owns a horse specially trained for their line of work. *'Fitness' - being a Ranger is a physically demanding task, requiring high levels of fitness and training. Training Main Article: Ranger Training Occasionally, one of the older and more experienced rangers take themselves an apprentice when they see someone with the potential to fulfill the demanding role of a ranger. The apprentices taken are usually around fifteen but may be taken at a younger age. For five years they are training and regularly assessed at the annual Ranger Gathering by a number of rangers who are delegated that task. They are first assessed a number of months after first being taken on as an apprentice and if they pass are given their bronze oakleaf. In The Ruins Of Gorlan however, Halt gives Will is oakleaf early and without the assessment due to his apprentice's skill and the fact that he won't be assessed properly for a while due to the war . Over these five years the apprentice ranger is gradually given more and more responsibilities and missions to carry out and handle until they are believed ready to be made a full ranger and given their silver oakleaf. Techniques There are numerous techniques developed or adapted by rangers over the years since their formation. One such technique is called 'Look. Shout. Shoot'. One Ranger looks for tracks, whilst the other keeps watch over the ranger tracking at a distance. If a person is spotted who looks to be a danger to the tracker, the watcher shouts to warn the other Ranger who is tracking. The Ranger tracking immediately drops to the ground, and at the same time the other Ranger shoots the person if they are a danger. This is employed in Halt's Peril by Will and Halt. List of Known Rangers The rangers whose names appear in italic text are retired rangers. The ones that are underlined are apprentices. *''Alun'' *Andross *''Bartell'' *''Berrigan'' *Clarke *Crowley *''Geldon'' *Gilan *''Halt O'Carrick''-in The Royal Ranger *Harrison *Liam-Has graduated in The Royal Ranger *Madelyn *Meralon *Merron *Nick *''Pritchard'' *Skinner *Stuart *Will Treaty Trivia *John Flanagan inspiration for the Rangers came from a United States reconnaissance force in World War II. *In Dutch the Rangers are called Grijze Jagers, wich means "Grey Hunters." *In Polish the Rangers are called "Zwiadowcy" which means "Scouts". *John Flanagan also found inspiration from The Lord of the Rings group called the Rangers, who share the camoflage cloak, longbow, and elite status.﻿ Category:Rangers Category:Leaders Category:Leadership Positions Category:Protagonists Category:Groups Category:Araluans Category:Main Characters